Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) has been formally recognised as a HIV confident organisation and becomes the first organisation in the North West to achieve the status.
Working with local HIV charity George House Trust (GHT) and Dibby Theatre, MFT has rolled out training to staff to support early diagnosis and reduce the stigma of HIV. Over 26,000 members of staff have completed the training in the last 12 months.
Dr Sohail Munshi, joint chief medical officer at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are delighted to be the first healthcare organisation in the North West to be declared HIV Confident and look forward to building on our already very successful training module to ensure that we are a safe place for people living with HIV to work and receive care. This is all part of our values to be an inclusive employer and our strategic aim to reduce health inequalities in our communities.”
The Trust’s work on reducing HIV stigma, as well as our work with George House Trust peer navigators, has also been recognised in the Department for Health and Social Care’s HIV Action Plan for England, 2025 to 2030, published on 1 December 2025.
Annie Howard, HIV confident senior programme manager, said: “We are delighted that Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised as HIV Confident – the first organisation in the North West and one of the UK’s largest hospital trusts. The Trust has shown incredible commitment to addressing HIV-related stigma and discrimination through their robust policies and passionate leadership. Their mandation of stigma training for all staff is a testament to their incredibly strong commitment to welcoming and respecting all people living with HIV. Strengthening knowledge, attitudes and confidence of every employee in this way to contribute to a workplace that champions inclusion and dignity for all is the core mission of HIV Confident, is essential to addressing stigma and ending new HIV transmissions by 2030.”
Paul Fairweather, founder and training co-ordinator at George House Trust, said: “We are pleased to see Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised as HIV Confident. This highlights the Trust’s unwavering commitment to creating a healthcare environment where people living with HIV in Greater Manchester feel assured of receiving care that is respectful, fair, and free from stigma. We applaud the Trust and its staff for embedding inclusive practices and strong policies that promote dignity and equality in every interaction.”
Staff who had completed the training reported that their knowledge and confidence of HIV improved significantly: the proportion who understood stigma rose by 25%, the proportion who felt confident talking about HIV care rose by 34%, and the proportion who felt confident about what language to use around HIV rose by 36%.
MFT is also a key part of Greater Manchester’s wider commitment as a Fast Track City, working towards ending new transmissions of HIV by 2030, and expansion of this work to include Hepatitis and Tuberculosis to benefit a wider population.. As part of this work, more than 1,000 people in Greater Manchester have received life-saving diagnoses and treatment for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C – conditions they didn’t know they had – thanks to a national NHS opt-out testing programme launched in the Trust’s emergency departments in 2021, and subsequently in six other emergency departments across Greater Manchester. You can find out more about this life-saving work in this article.